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New approach hopes to combat opioid epidemic in Maine

Maine law enforcement agencies, policymakers and treatment providers are focusing their efforts on attacking the growing opioid epidemic that is claiming many lives in Maine. WMTW News 8'S Jim Keithley reports.

Maine law enforcement agencies, policymakers and treatment providers are focusing their efforts on attacking the growing opioid epidemic that is claiming many lives in Maine. WMTW News 8'S Jim Keithley reports.

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Updated: 5:33 PM EST Dec 15, 2015

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WEBVTT DEERING OAKS PARK OVER THEWEEKEND.DRUG AGENTS MAKE SEVERAL DRUGBUSTS -- FIVE MEN FROM NEW YORKCHARGED WITH SELLING HEROIN.JUST ANOTHER WEEK IN MAINE.THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC SEEMSNEVER-ENDING.MARY MAYHEW: IT'S ALSOINFURIATING TO KNOW THEMARKETING EFFORTS THAT AREUNDERWAY FROM NEW YORK, FROMMASSACHUSETTS, TO DRIVE THEHEROIN INTO THIS STATE.JIM: MARY MAYHEW AMONG THOSE ATA ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON WAYSTO FIGHT THIS GROWING EPIDEMIC.SHE SAYS WE HAVE TO FIND A WAYTO STOP PAIN MEDICATIONS FROMBEING SO FREELY PUSHED ONPATIENTS.MARY MAYHEW: WE KNOW THAT OVER75% OF THOSE WHO ARE DOINGHEROIN STARTED WITH PRESCRIPTIONPAIN PILL.A--PILLS.ANDREW KIEZULAS: I KNEW HEROINWOULD MAKE ME FEEL BETTER, ANDSO I DID IT.JIM: ANDREW KIEZULUS IS ONE OFTHOSE PEOPLE.WE INTRODUCED YOU TO THE USMCHEMISTRY STUDENT LAST MONTH,WHO WAS PRESCRIBED PAIN KILLERSAFTER HE CRUSHED TWO DISCS INHIS BACK WHEN HE FELL ON SOMEICE.ANDREW KIEZULAS: I WAS LUCKY IWASN'T PARALYZED, SO NATURALLY IWAS IN A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OFPAIN, AND SO I WAS HANDED ALARGE PRESCRIPTIONS FOR HEAVYDOSE OPIOIDS.JIM: THAT LED TO HIS HEROIN USE-- HE'S NOW CLEAN, AND IN LONGTERM RECOVERY.MAYHEW SAYS PAIN MANAGEMENTPROTOCOLS ARE IN PLACE, BUT THEYHAVE TO GET BETTER -- FOCUSINGON ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES, SUCHAS PHYSICAL THERAPY ANDCHIROPRACTIC CARE, BEFORE PAINPILLS ARE PRESCRIBED.MARY MAYHEW: IN MAINECARE, WEHAVE REDUCED THE AMOUNT OFPRESCRIBING OF PRESCRIPTION PAINPILLS BY OVER 45% THROUGHADHERENCE TO THIS PAINMANAGEMENT PROTOCOL.JIM: MAYHEW SAID WE NEED TO BEDOING THAT OUTSIDE OF MAINECARE.SHE SAID THAT WAS THE TOPIC OF ARECENT NATIONAL FORUM.MARY MAYHEW: HOW DO YOU STOP THEOVER-PRESCRIBING THAT IS LEADINGTO THE HEROIN ADDICTION.WE'VE MADE A HUGE DENT.THERE'S MORE THAT WE NEED TO DO.JIM: MAYHEW SAYS 80-MILLION PAINPILLS WERE PRESCRIBED IN MAINELAST YEAR, TO A LITTLE MORE THAN300,000 PEOPLE.SHE SAYS BY COLLABORATING WITHALL STAKEHOLDERS IN THISEPIDEMIC IS THE ONLY WAY THEY'REGOING TO TURN THE TIDE.LIVE IN THE STUDIO, JIM

New approach hopes to combat opioid epidemic in Maine

Maine law enforcement agencies, policymakers and treatment providers are focusing their efforts on attacking the growing opioid epidemic that is claiming many lives in Maine. WMTW News 8'S Jim Keithley reports.